1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to valance assemblies for concealing the headrail of window coverings and the like, including both vertical and horizontal blinds.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various forms of valance assemblies have been proposed for vertical blinds and others for horizontal blinds.
In the case of vertical blinds, it is usual, for aesthetics, to provide a valance covered with the same fabric as that of the hanging louvers, and such valances presently require custom manufacturing. To form the face valance element, in some cases the fabric is glued onto a strip of rigid backing material. In other cases, the fabric is held by longitudinal flanges to an L-shaped bracket which extends the length of the headrail. In order to provide a finished appearance, a pair of valance returns utilizing the same fabric, must also be prepared in the same manner, and the complete valance assembled, using glue or staples to assemble the returns to the face valance element. Both types of assemblies are relatively expensive to manufacture.
In the case of horizontal blinds, the aesthetics of using a similar material for slats and valance is not as important. By far, the largest market of horizontal blinds have either white or ivory slats.
In recent years, a number of descendants have been developed from the standard venetian blind, including mini-blinds with one inch wide slats and micro-blinds with one-half inch slats.
With vertical blinds, the headrail is generally a length of extruded aluminum of standard inverted channel cross section.
However, in the case of horizontal blinds, the headrail is generally a length of extruded aluminum of upright channel of non-standard cross-section with rolled upper edges, and the width of the headrail varies according to the width of the slats.
One particular valance mounting assembly for vertical blinds employs a support having a U-shaped clip with downwardly extending front and rear arms. The U-shaped clip is designed to engage the front-facing wall of the headrail channel.
In other assemblies, the clip may be a plate with cantilevered tongues or weakened lines of severance to bend back and allow the clip to be inserted in the headrail channel, engaging the upper rolled edges.